I'll Be Home For Christmas
by Eriphabottackson
Summary: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Arendelle, and everyone is in the spirit. But when Elsa announces plans to go on a short trip to Weaseltown, Anna makes her promise to be home in time for the holidays. But will Elsa be able to keep that promise? 3-Shot (if that's even a thing. It is now)
1. Chapter 1

_I have to give this everything I have, _Anna thought fiercely. _This is my last shot. I can do it…_

"Go Anna!" Olaf cheered, jumping up and down. Elsa sent a warm smile toward her little sister. "You can do it, Anna!" she called out.

And Anna did do it. She picked up the last sugar cookie on her plate and shoved it down her throat before Kristoff did the same to his last cookie. Afterwards, she threw her hands up in the air. "30 COOKIES! A NEW RECCORD!" shouted the princess, chewed-up sugar cookie about to spill from her mouth. Olaf cringed in disgust, and Elsa turned around, both hands over her mouth, about to double over with laughter.

"I think you really _were _raised in a barn," muttered Kristoff, who had lost the cookie-eating competition. "Didn't your parents tell you not to talk with your mouth full?!"

"They did," Anna responded after swallowing. "But since when did I listen to anything my parents told me? I waited for hours in front of Elsa's door when they told me not to, I almost married a stranger when they warned me about strangers, and they told me not to ask Elsa any 'personal questions…' which we all know I did."

Elsa nodded, knowing. Anna ran to her older sister and gave her a hug. "Thanks for cheering me on," she grinned.

"It was no problem," Elsa smiled back. Suddenly, her smile faded. Sensing her sister was troubled about something, Anna looked up at her. "Elsa? What is it?" she asked, concerned.

"It's nothing," lied Elsa. But Anna was smart enough to know that wasn't the truthful answer. She gave her sister the puppy-eyes. "Pwease tewl me what's wong," she pleaded in one of those mock-cuteness voices that Elsa fell prey to every time her sister begged her for something… including this time.

"Okay," the queen finally gave in, unable to suppress a light chuckle. "But I want to talk to you alone."

Anna's face brightened again. "Alright," she agreed, speaking normally. Kristoff, Olaf, and everyone else decided to wait in the palace dining room while the sisters retired to the hallway where Elsa's room was. Once they were out of sight, Elsa began to speak, "Anna, you know I love you…"

"If this is about getting a boyfriend, I told you I don't mind!" interrupted Anna. "We both agreed that a guy can't come between us!" This statement earned a small smile from her big sister. The queen continued, "No, Anna, that's not it. I love you, but… but I agreed at my meeting yesterday that I would go overseas to Weselton in a couple of days, and the thing is… I don't know if I'll be back in time to celebrate Christmas with you."

Anna just stared at Elsa for a moment before going completely berserk. "Ok, THIS I mind!" she squeaked out. "Not only are you leaving me during the holidays, which everyone knows you're supposed to spend with your family, but you're going to Weaseltown?!"

"Weselton, Anna," Elsa gently corrected.

"Either one; it's bad over there! Am I the only one who remembers the psycho Duke who ordered those scary-looking body guards to kill you?! Or the fact that he was just a plain jerk?!"

"No, you're not the only one. But Anna, if I go over there now, maybe I can negotiate peacefully with them and lift the embargo I placed on them. If I do that, maybe… maybe they'll see that I'm not…"

"Elsa, if you say the m-word, I will go right back into that dining room and purposely chew with my mouth open." Elsa bit her lip and stared at the ground. Anna approached her as the room began to grow colder, and she began to run her fingers through Elsa's braid.

"You're not a… well, you're not a monster," Anna comforted. "You're a smart person, and you're a great ruler. And you have a heart as pure as the snow you make."

Elsa smiled sadly and placed her hand on her sister's, which still was stroking her hair. "Thank you, Anna," she whispered.

"You're welcome. And I'm sorry I freaked out earlier. If you feel that you really need to do this, go ahead. Just… promise me that you'll be home in time for Christmas."

"Anna, I don't know for sure if-"

"_Promise_."

Elsa sighed. She took both of her sisters' hands and squeezed them tight. "I'll be home for Christmas," she promised.

"Yay!" squealed Anna, throwing her arms around Elsa, who returned the hug with pleasure. "This Christmas is going to be _awesome_! Ooh, before you leave, maybe you can make a huge ice rink, and-"

Elsa grinned. She hadn't even left yet, and she was already beginning to miss her sister.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow... 6 follows, 2 favorites, and 2 reviews already? This is awesome! Thank you guys so much! I don't think I've had people following/favoriting this quickly in a long time! **

**Anyway, as you read, this is a three-shot. This will be the second, and I'm posting the third tomorrow. I'm really kind of sad that Idina Menzel didn't cover the title song, because it inspired me to write this, and I could see Elsa singing it to Anna... but oh well. Enjoy! :)**

Elsa inhaled the salty scent of the waves lapping the boat. This was her first time overseas, and she had been quite nervous. The fact that her parents died in a shipwreck during a storm didn't exactly help too much. Thank goodness Anna, who had never been on a ship herself either, managed to assure her older sister that everything would be fine, and if she truly thought that her life was in danger, she could just freeze the entire ocean as a means of alerting Anna to go after her. "I learned some things about crossing frozen fjords from last time," the princess had informed Elsa with a smile.

The queen now wasn't as nervous as she thought she'd be, probably because now, she and the crew were actually on the ocean. She glanced over the sea, basking in the calm and welcoming feeling it offered. Since Elsa never left her room in a LONG time, she wasn't able to admire the water in the fjord. Now, she took deep breaths, taking in all of the sea's beauty.

Among the many clouds above the ocean, Elsa soon saw what looked like a small bird. It was soaring through the sky, about to circle the ship. "You must feel so free up there," she whispered, as if the bird could actually hear and/or understand her. "There's no one to lock you up or bring you down. But it gets lonely when you're by yourself, right? Trust me, I know…"

Kai, who had agreed to go with Elsa on the voyage, smiled at her. Did he think she was crazy for talking to a bird? A little bit. But even though he was just a servant, he loved and cared for Elsa and Anna as their father did when he passed.

Suddenly, Kai pointed to the bird. "Your Majesty, I think there's something on its leg," he informed the queen. Sure enough, Elsa squinted and saw that there was a rolled-up piece of paper attached to its leg. "You're right, Kai," she told her servant. "Wait… it looks like it's trying to land here…"

The bird, a white one, swooped down and attempted to land on Elsa's arm. The reason I used the word "attempted" is because the queen was slightly spooked at the fact that she had never been this close to an animal except the guard dogs and almost shot ice at it. Luckily the bird dodged and perched itself on a whimpering Elsa while Kai untied the paper from its leg.

"It's from your sister," he announced to his queen, who was now stroking the bird's feathers. It wasn't so scary now that Elsa had a proper look at it. _Maybe that's how the people of Arendelle felt about ME after I ended the winter, _she wondered to herself.

"Your Majesty, this letter is from Princess Anna," repeated Kai. Elsa finally registered the news in her head. "Seriously?" she asked Kai. "I left not even six hours ago!"

The servant simply shrugged. "I've been with your family for many, many years, and you're her sister," he replied. "Still, neither of us knows what goes on in her head. But we both know this: she loves you more than anything, and she'll give the people she loves her all. She won't give up even if the two of you are miles apart."

Elsa bit her lip in an attempt to keep the tears back. _He's right_, she thought. _And maybe, just maybe, I would know her better if I didn't shut her out for 13 years. I honestly don't think I deserve her… _She was oblivious to the snowflakes beginning to coat the deck of the ship, but Kai wasn't. He put his hand on Elsa's shoulder and handed her the note. "Would you like to read it?" he asked her, figuring it would offer her comfort.

Elsa nodded. She unfolded the paper and read to herself:

_Dear Elsa,_

_ I know you just left, but that's not going to stop me from checking up on you. The fjord hasn't frozen over yet, so I guess you aren't scared anymore. That is always a good thing… that you aren't scared, I mean. Guess what? I did some reading (I know, a shocker, right?), and the bird that I sent you is a turtledove. What a funny name! It's not even part turtle! _(Elsa couldn't help laughing out loud at that last one.) _Anyway, it's supposed to symbolize love and friendship and stuff, so I think that is why Kristoff gave me two of them (you know, for the 12 days of Christmas, and it's Day 2) And while I love Kristoff a whole lot, you, my sister, always hold a special place in my heart. So, keep the dove. And don't forget to write! I love you, and I look forward to seeing you for Christmas!_

_ Love,_

_ Anna_

Elsa grinned as she wiped the tears that leaked from the corner of her eyes. "Kai… tell the men to go full speed ahead," she ordered. "And we might have to cut our trip short. I promised Anna I would make it back in time for Christmas… and I fully intend on keeping that promise."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for not updating! I was busy over the holidays, and even more busy with my high school work. (I now know your pain, mid-term takers...) Enjoy the final chapter of the 3-shot!**

As the letters from Anna increased, the more sure of her decision to curtail her stay in Weselton Elsa became. Her sister always kept her up to date on how Arendelle was preparing for the holidays. She wrote about giving some singers at the door fig pudding, browsing the marketplace for gifts (along with just about everyone in the kingdom), giving a Christmas tree to England, and attending mass. But the most amusing letter that Elsa had received was the following:

_Dear Elsa,_

_Today, Kristoff played some Christmas songs on his lute. Most of them were about the birth of Jesus, but a couple were about the legends of St. Nicholas, aka Santa Clause. One was about a reindeer named Rudolph, who had a red nose. Because he was so different, the other reindeer would make fun of him and wouldn't let him join in any reindeer games (jerks!). But then he saved Christmas, and everyone loved him. Hey, Rudolph reminds me of you a little! Well, you can talk and you don't smell funny. (get it, because Rudolph is a reindeer?) But you're different, and everyone, especially me, loves you! Anyway, goodbye for now! I love you! Oops, I said that already... oh well!_

_Love,_

_Anna_

Finally, Elsa had to leave "Weaseltown." It was a little unusual, because she had come to let the people know that she wasn't a monster and establish peace. Surprisingly, the wise king of Weselton wanted the exact same thing. He was also a very kind man, unlike his cousin the Duke, and he made Elsa feel welcome and comfortable during her stay.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty," Elsa had said on her last day.

"You are most welcome," the king replied.

"You know that you are also welcome to trade with us again. Feel free to let us know when to start."

"Probably after the holidays. I know a lot of my subjects love spending the holidays with their families. You actually have a sister, correct?"

"Yes, Princess Anna is my younger sister."

"Well, I'm sure you're anxious to get back to her."

"Yes. I am." The king then sent her off with some special trade goods as an early Christmas present and as some compensation for the Duke being such a jerk during _his _visit. Before she left, the king also informed her about a recent discovery he had made, which Elsa took to heart as she got on her ship back. What the king told her also made her even more anxious to get back to Anna.

As soon as the castle came in sight on Christmas Eve Day (as Anna called it, since Eve didn't start until 4 o'clock), Elsa grinned. The boat had not even stopped, but Elsa knew what she had to do. "Kai, I am about to do something extremely risky," the queen informed her servant. "No matter how much danger it seems to put me in, don't stop me."

"Very well," Kai gave in, knowing that Elsa would never do something too stupid.

Boy, was he mistaking. Elsa stepped up onto the edge of the ship and tried to keep balance. _Alright_, _she's standing on the edge of the boat, _Kai thought to himself. _As long as she stays_- His thought wasn't even finished when his queen jumped off of the boat.

"QUEEN ELSA!" he shouted, full of worry and grief. He immediately threw himself forward to look over the edge of the ship. Seeing Elsa standing on the water, a patch of ice under her feet, made him sigh in relief.

"I'm okay, Kai," she called back up. "Thank you for the concern, though. I'll meet you back on the land; I have to see my sister!"

"Go ahead, Your Majesty!" Elsa took another step, and some more of the waves froze underneath her foot. Before she knew it, she was running towards land, towards her sister, and towards Christmas.

Meanwhile, Anna was putting up mistletoe over the doorway to the castle, where she was hoping her big sister would meet her there. Kristoff came from behind her and gave her a hug. "Mistletoe, huh?" he asked before giving her a smooch on the lips.

"Yeah, so?" Anna replied. "I want the castle to look festive for when Elsa comes back." Her boyfriend then looked around the room, which had a wonderfully-decorated Christmas tree, stockings above the fireplace, and streamers strewn around the balcony. Even the knight's armors in the hallway had wreaths thrown around their necks. It looked like Santa Clause had thrown up in the place. "I honestly don't think you need to worry about that," assured Kristoff.

"Ok, then, I won't," grinned Anna, kissing his cheek. "So that means I can go be the lookout for Elsa!" But before she could even skip outside merrily, she took a look at the grandfather clock. It read almost four hours. _She's cutting it close, _the redhead thought to herself. _But she'll show up; I know she will._

The sky, previously burning orange, was now starting to fade to darkness. _No... no, I can't give up__! _Elsa thought to herself, still running. _I promised Anna. And I have to keep that promise, no matter what__! _

Anna just came up to the dock when she ran into Olaf. "She's coming!" the snowman shouted happily. "Elsa's coming!"

"Yes... yes, she is!" the princess agreed, seeing the fjord start to turn to ice. "ELSA! ELSA, OVER HERE!" Anna jumped up and down and waved her arms around like a crazy person.

"ANNA!" Elsa shouted back, huffing and puffing to try to reach land on time. "ANNA!"

"ELSA!"

"ANNA!"

"OLAF!" yelled Olaf. Anna gave him a look. "Really?!" she asked. She turned back to the fjord, where her sister was in plain sight. Anna stood at the edge of the dock, gazing out at Elsa coming towards her, her almost-white hair contrasting the night sky.

Once Elsa had finally reached the dock, Anna helped her up from the water and onto land. A breathless Elsa had to keep from crying with relief as she hugged her sister, who hugged back just as tightly. Once the hug was done, the two turned to Olaf, who grinned and greeted, "Welcome back, Elsa!" with open arms.

"Hi, Olaf!" Elsa greeted back, hugging the snowman. All three then turned to the fjord, where a full moon and some stars appeared. Elsa's ship came sailing towards the dock in front of the huge moon. "Nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?" Anna joked, her arm around Elsa.

"I'd like to see _you _use ice powers to sprint across the fjord," Elsa retorted, which earned a stuck-out tongue from Anna. The sisters and Olaf went off to the castle, talking about Elsa's trip. Elsa told her sister what the king had told her, and Anna told Kristoff what the both of them had told her at Christmas dinner.

"The king of Weselton told Elsa that she's not the only one he's heard of with powers like hers," the redhead informed her boyfriend. "There are apparently people with a whole _bunch _of different powers. Ice like Elsa, fire, wind, thunder... it's like they're gods or something."

"Or goddesses," added Kristoff, trying to stay on the queen's good side and to avoid having frozen turkey or eggnog. Elsa blushed slightly. "I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one who's different, that's all," she told them. "And you guys do realize it's _Christmas_, celebrating the birth of _Jesus_, and you're talking like we're still pagan?"

"I know we're Christian, but everybody can enjoy Norse mythology and stuff!" Anna protested. "If someone says that the story of Thor isn't awesome, I'll hit them with something heavier than a magic hammer!"

After dinner, everyone in Arendelle attended midnight mass. In the morning, after little sleep, Elsa went down to the entrance room of the castle to find Anna waiting for her. "Did you even sleep?" the queen asked her little sister in concern.

"Yep! I got a full 40 minutes!" Anna grinned, which caused Elsa to roll her eyes and Anna to add, "Well, don't make me stay up until midnight if you want me to sleep, then! And you know it's hard to sleep when you're excited for something, especially for _Christmas_! Well, did you know?!"

After everyone else in the castle was awake, everyone exchanged presents. And even with all of the gifts they received, Elsa and Anna both got the present they had always wanted: to have their sister back.

**THE END**


End file.
